The purpose of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research is to coordinate rigorous scientific studies to assess the safety and efficacy of cannabis and cannabis compounds for treating medical conditions.

Can cannabis save us from the opioid crisis?

Jill Replogle, KPCC, February 12, 2018

Have California’s medical marijuana dispensaries helped ease the state’s opioid crisis? Several studies have found lower rates of opioid-related overdoses in states that have legalized marijuana for medical purposes.

Now, a new study published in the Journal of Health Economics suggests states that have made it easiest for patients to buy medical marijuana, primarily via dispensaries, have seen the greatest impact on opioid overdose deaths. The study was co-authored by researchers from UC Irvine and the RAND Corporation.

For legal cannabis, some new wrinkles: older users

Peter Rowe, San Diego Union Tribune, February 10, 2018

While legal marijuana is new to California, cannabis is an old companion to Lee.

“I’ve been using since I was a junior in college in, what, 1966?” said the 70-year-old real estate broker, browsing in Torrey Holistics, a Sorrento Valley cannabis dispensary. “I never thought I’d live to see the day it was legal.”

Even before Jan. 1, when California legalized recreational weed, pot was enjoying a gray renaissance. Between 2006 and 2013, the National Survey of Drug Use and Health reported a 250 percent rise in marijuana use by Americans 65 and older. This is still a small number, climbing from 0.4 percent to 1.4 percent of that population, but local dispensaries see plenty of silver-haired shoppers.

Recreational marijuana is legal in California, but stoned driving is still hard to detect

Brad Branan, The Sacramento Bee, January 21, 2018

When a 22-year-old Hayward man allegedly slammed his Cadillac into a California Highway Patrol vehicle and killed Officer Andrew Camilleri on Christmas Eve, he was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana, officials said.

CHP reported that Mohammed Abraar Ali had a blood-alcohol level of .11, above the state limit of .08 for motorists. While it’s not clear how the agency documented Ali’s cannabis consumption, he said he got high at a Christmas party, authorities said.

Proving intoxication from weed is more difficult than it is with alcohol, as law enforcement does not have a device like a breathalyzer for alcohol. Without such a tool, law enforcement must rely more on roadside sobriety tests.

Swab tests and judgment calls: How police are checking for pot DUIs

Recreational marijuana went on sale in California nearly a month ago but questions remain about the best way to enforce the law to keep dangerously stoned drivers off the road.

As of Jan. 1, state law prohibits drivers from having an open container of cannabis inside the car or using the substance while driving. But the rules for use before someone gets behind the wheel are fuzzy.